T. Terrell Sessums
Encyclopedia
Thomas Terrell Sessums was the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives
from 1974-1976. Mr Sessums went onto a life of leadership and public service.
and then moved with his family to Tampa, Florida, after he started college.
with his Bachelor degree and Juris Doctorate and began his law practice in Tampa. While at the University of Florida Mr. Sessums was president of the student body (1952–1953).
, and is serving on the Board of Governors for Florida Southern College
http://www.flsouthern.edu/flhistory/sessums.htm. He also served as president of the board of trustees at the University of Tampa
.
Mr. Sessums and his wife Neva reside in Tampa.
Sessums Mall on the campus of the University of South Florida was dedicated in 1999.
Florida House of Representatives
The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The House is composed of 120 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 156,677.The House convenes at...
from 1974-1976. Mr Sessums went onto a life of leadership and public service.
Early life
Thomas Terrell Sessums was born June 11, 1930 in Daytona Beach, Florida, USA. He was raised in Jacksonville, Florida, graduated from Andrew Jackson High SchoolAndrew Jackson High School (Jacksonville, Florida)
Andrew Jackson High School is the oldest fully accredited high school in Duval County, Florida. It is located just north of downtown Jacksonville on Main Street . It opened in 1927, followed by Robert E. Lee High School, which opened in 1928. It was originally an all-white school, but the school...
and then moved with his family to Tampa, Florida, after he started college.
Education
Sessums graduated from the University of FloridaUniversity of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
with his Bachelor degree and Juris Doctorate and began his law practice in Tampa. While at the University of Florida Mr. Sessums was president of the student body (1952–1953).
Politics
He served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 1963 - 1974. During the 1972-74 session he served as Speaker of the House. He was also Chairman of the Florida Board of RegentsFlorida Board of Regents
The Florida Board of Regents was from 1965 to 2001 the governing body for the State University System of Florida, which includes all public universities in the state of Florida, United States. It was created to replace a predecessor body called the Florida Board of Control, which had existed from...
, and is serving on the Board of Governors for Florida Southern College
Florida Southern College
Florida Southern College is a private college located in Lakeland, Florida, United States. It was selected by U.S...
http://www.flsouthern.edu/flhistory/sessums.htm. He also served as president of the board of trustees at the University of Tampa
University of Tampa
The University of Tampa , is a private, co-educational university in Downtown Tampa, Florida, United States. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In 2006, the University celebrated its 75th anniversary...
.
Later years
Sessums has received four honorary degrees, and has been awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the Florida Association of Colleges and Universities.Mr. Sessums and his wife Neva reside in Tampa.
Legacy
T. Terrell Sessums Elementary School in Riverview, Florida, was named in his honor when it opened in 2003.Sessums Mall on the campus of the University of South Florida was dedicated in 1999.